Christmas Spirit.

Thanks Siani, that code worked fine!

Here it is then folks, the Christmas Spirit Award. Very pretty, and a lovely thought. Much too pretty to keep to myself. So if any of you want to share some Christmas Spirit, you're welcome to collect it here. The code is in Siani's comment on the Bodacious post.

Happy Christmas (or whatever it is you celebrate at this time) to you all.


14th Dec.
Editing to apologise for the vanished award. It seems that if Christmas arrives too early it can also leave early. Either that, or my Christmas Spirit has vanished - which might be possible as the shops are demented just now!

11th Jan.
Well, what do you know? Christmas Spirit has returned without my noticing it! Do you think it's all ready for next December?

More Awards!

Siani's passed on another award. There were two actually, but I haven't yet managed to retrieve the pretty "Christmas Spirit" one. I'm not very technically educated!

I looked up 'bodacious' in WordWeb Online, and it says it means incorrigible, and unrestrained by convention or propriety.

Thanks Siani - I think!

Now, who deserves this one? Hmmm. . . . . .

Saturday PhotoHunt - Long

The theme for today's PhotoHunt is LONG. I've looked everywhere for something suitable, without success. I've followed my cats around, waiting for them to stretch, particularly Rinli - he likes to sleep fully extended. I measured him once, and he was just half an inch short of 3 feet in length. Has he co-operated? Has he pandered to my photographic pleas? Come off it - this is a CAT I'm talking about!

So instead I'm submitting this picture from our family collection. This sail-training ship, the Asgard ll, visited our local port while we were still living on our island, so we naturally went to see.
She looks fairly long, and the Irish word for ship is - wait for it - long.



Will that do?

By the way, if you follow the link to Asgard ll, it's well worth checking the photos.

Another Award!

I'm so flattered. I have another award from Siani.
What a lovely idea.

I think I'll pass this on to:

Damama T
Sarah of Farming Friends

Thank you, Siani.

More About Our Wedding.

I started today well, having visited Damama t for a good laugh. Her story's here. She reminded me of the start of our wedding ceremony.

Now I should perhaps explain that my husband has far from fond memories of churches, and likes only one hymn - "All Things Bright And Beautiful" - so that was our first hymn.

I was, fairly naturally, quite high-spirited that day. The first line of the hymn "all things bright and beautiful" had me looking at almost-hubby's tie, and starting to smile. The second line "all creatures great and small" made me look at my man, several inches shorter than me, and at his Best Man who had congenital leg trouble and was even shorter, and the giggle started to bubble up. I had to stop singing. I heard the same reaction from my sister (my bridesmaid, standing just behind me) and I started to shake with the effort of not laughing aloud. Fortunately, I succeeded, and I made my vows without a tremour in my voice. That was a real triumph!

Wedding Anniversary.

Today is our 35th wedding anniversary. It's been a cold, wet day, just like 35 years ago. I've spent the day scanning all our wedding photographs into my computer, so I have a back-up for the originals. What a lot of memories!

Here we are, signing the register.

In the car, on the way to the reception.

You can see the weather through the rear window.

Now to cut the cake.
If you look closely you'll see that the top tier is badly positioned.
The manageress rushed in with it at the last minute, and plonked it on.

Shortly after the photo was taken, the top of the cake toppled off - saved from disaster by Aileni's rapid reactions (he caught the cake and replaced it safely!)

This was the third strange occurrence of the day.
The first event occurred after the service ended. The organist let rip with great volume and true Welsh "Hwyl" An elderly lady who suffered from Meniere's disease was sitting close to the organ. The vibrations brought on a fainting attack and an ambulance was called! She was fine, but she missed the reception.
The second event was during the photography. My close friend brought my Godson to me, so naturally we had a picture.

Fortunately there were no more unusual events!

In spite of the weather, it was a lovely day.

And thank you Mardé for the e-card - what a sweet thought.

Saturday PhotoHunt - Red

Today's PhotoHunt theme is Red. Below is a photo of me, taken many years ago on a lovely summer day. At that time we still lived on the island, and I was younger (and larger) than I am now. The reds don't show properly in this print. Middle son is in the blue canoe.



Two more recent photos are below.

I took these yesterday while walking the dog. They don't seem quite in focus to me, but the rose-hips are definitely red.

I seem to have trouble producing reds. This is the cotoneaster in our garden, and it's much more red than it looks here.


I'll try another one -

nope, still looks orange. You'll just have to pretend it's red!

May I ask you to visit Stephen? It's his first PhotoHunt this week. Thanks.

A Major Award!

Siani has presented me with an award. This award is for mind-power, believe it or not.




Now doesn't that give me something to live up to?!!

Now I must pass this on.

To:
Aileni
Mardé
jmb
Welshcakes Limoncello
Barbara
Teena

All people who keep me thinking and teach me things.

Clever Son!

More about the clever son I mentioned on Saturday.

We have a small single bedroom over the front door. It's been very difficult to fit a bed in there, due to a radiator under the window and a raised wedge in the floor over the stairs.

Over the weekend, Clever Son has built a fitted bed for us, so now we actually have a spare room. All I need now is the mattress, which should arrive by the end of this week. Second daughter arrives for a week at the beginning of next month, and now she'll have a comfy bedroom instead of sleeping in the sitting room. Much nicer for her.

This is the start - the first board on the wall.

Not far to go - fitting the slats.

The finished bed - and shelves on the wall, too.

I'm very pleased. Now - wonder what else I can get him to do . . . . .

Saturday PhotoHunt - Hot

I'm late this week, and I've not been around for a while - sorry about that!

Anyway, here's my contribution this week. It was taken last December in my eldest son's new home. We gave him the stove (suitable house-warming present?) He found the mantelpiece at a demolished house, fitted it, and built the hearth. A young man of many talents.